In Avengers: Endgame, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) decapitates Thanos (Josh Brolin) in the opening act of the film, despite the fact that Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster is a Disney movie – a studio infamous for being children-friendly.
However, Avengers: Endgame co-editor Jeff Ford has discussed in an interview with Collider how Marvel Studios managed to include this violent moment in a Disney film.
“Most of us on the crew are parents and have young kids, and I think that’s part of who we are,” Ford said. “We think about that, but more importantly, it’s about the scale of the story. So for instance, is it necessary? And is it narratively significant? And is it warranted? If you can answer those questions and you feel you need something that could be shocking or violent, then what’s the most artful way to handle that so that you don’t alienate the audience?”
When it came to the God of Thunder slicing off Thanos’ head, the filmmakers weren’t focused on being horrifying, but establishing a storyline with Thor that would be consistent throughout the film.
“Part of the story is Thor dealing with something that he really shouldn’t maybe have done,” Ford said. “I mean, he loses it a bit there, and I think it’s also shocking and it’s also final, at least for Thanos in that timeline.”
“There’s an unreality to these movies. They are in a science fiction fantasy context,” Ford continued. “So there’s a level of that that is slightly abstracted from what is real. And so you still want them to have sort of a visceral impact, you want the characters to feel it, but at the same time, people are doing things that people sometimes cannot do.”
What are your thoughts on the use of violence in Avengers: Endgame? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @flickeringmyth…
Avengers: Endgame stars Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Evans (Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), Josh Brolin (Thanos), Brie Larson (Captain Marvel), Paul Rudd (Scott Lang), Don Cheadle (War Machine), Karen Gillan (Nebula), Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther), Tom Holland (Spider-Man), Sebastian Stan (Winter Soldier), Anthony Mackie (Falcon), Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch), Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Benedict Wong (Wong), Chris Pratt (Star-Lord), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), Dave Bautista (Drax), Bradley Cooper (Rocket), Vin Diesel (Groot), Karen Gillan (Nebula), Pom Klementieff (Mantis), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts), Evangeline Lilly (The Wasp), Letitia Wright (Shuri) and Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie).
